Method of treating cork articles.



GEORGE H. GILLETTE,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 ARMSTRONG CORK CDMPANY,

OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR'PGRATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF TREATING CORK ARTICLES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (lnouon litimnnrrn, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a near and use .t'ul Method of 'lreatingg; (jerk Articles, of which the following is a tull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the use of blocks, sheets or tboards composed of granulated or ulverized cork held by a suitable binder. The binder employed is one which will possess the desired property of the cork in proper condition. this character usually contain oil or some other substance which possesses a disagree able odor or taste or both. Such material is objectionable for many purposes, such for example, as bottle cap linings; owing to its taste and odor.

My invention is designed to overcome the difliculty of this objectionable taste and odor, and to produce a material made from granulated or pulverized cork which will be substantially free from such taste or odor.

In carrying out my invention in its preferred form, 1 preferably take a) sheet, board or block of the cork composition andcoat it with a Waterproof varnish or similar coating. This waterproof varnish preferably contains a considerable percentage of a drier, although this is not essential. I then bake or heat the coated article at a temperature preferably between 250 F. and 500 F. This baking is preferably continued for several hours, until the objectionable odor of the article is entirely eliminated. If linseed oil is present in the cork composition, -I find that this baking not only eliminates the objectionable odor of the varnish but also removes the linseed oil odor. This treatment not only renders the article waterproof and substantially odorless and tasteless, but also stifl'ens it without. n'nitcrially affecting its elasticity. Sheets ofcork composition thus treated are especially adapted for use with bottle caps; since no objectionable taste or odor is imparted to the bottle contents.

If desired, after the baking treatment above described, the sheet may subsequently be coated with a non-adhesive material such as parafiin, in order to prevent or reduce its tendency to stick or adhere to parts with which it contacts. The material treated as above described is of special advantage Where preserving I Bin de rs 0t.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 15, 1908.

l l l l l th e bottle.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 467.679.

the lluid is steamed in the bottle after the closure applied: since the walerprool' varnish is not altacked or sottcned by the steaming operation.

ln a modification of my process 1 bake or heat the cork composition laelorr coaatiim is applied, this treatment ltl'lrltizl'fi;f the cork composition sub tantially wh ch and tasteless. l may then coat the sheet article with a non anllw rrc malt-rial such parallin. to prevent llr ticking to the with whi h it contact such a. the moat The parallin will make the sheet waterproof.

i iflr ii) 3!, This material may he used for bottle caps in cases where there is no steaming; o! the bottle contents.

In another modification oi" my process l bake the cork composition, then apply the waterproof varnish and then bake the article again. In this case I may or may not apply a non-:ulhesive material such as par al'lin or other noneoinln tiiug coating over the water iroo'f varnish.

The advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The oh jcctionable taste and odor of cork compositions made from rrmuzlatcd or pulverized cork is removed. hiercorer, it there is odor or taste to the natural cork itself, treatment will prevent its all'ecting bottle (,Oliitjllld.

The treatment may be applied to sheets, boards or blocks of natural cork bark, and the method may be varied in other ways without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. The method of treatingan article composed of cork particles and an artificiai binder, which consists in heating the. article to a temperature which will substantially eliminate the objectionable odor and taste due to the binder, substantially as described.

2. The herein described method of treating; an article composed of cork particles and an artificial hinder, having desirable. quali ties but having inherent therein an objectionable odor and taste. which consists in hinting the article to a temperature which will sub-tantially eliminate the objectioir able odor and taste of the bind r, substantially as described.

3. The herein described method of treat ing an article composed of cork particles and an artificial binder containing oil, which consists in heating the article to a tempera- 't (it) ture which will substantially eliminate the objectionable odor and taste oi the binder, substantially as described.

4. The lwwin rl c ibed method of treating cork containing an artificial binder hav ing an olijectionable odor and taste, which consists in baking it at a temperature sutticiently high and for a period sutliciently long to substantially eliminate the taste and odor, substantially as described.

5. The herein described method of treating cork articles which contain an artificial binder having an objectionable odor and taste, which consists in giving the article a waterproof coating and then baking it to remove substantially all of the taste and. odor of the binder, substantiall as described.

6. The herein described niethod. of treating cork articles containing an artificial binder having an objectionable odor and taste, which consists in baking the article, giving it a waterproof coating, and then rebaking, the'balring operations being con ducted at a tem erature which will remove the nbjectionab c taste and odor of the binder, substantially as described.

7. The herein described method of treating cork articles which contain an artificial binder having ari objectionable odor and taste, which consists in giving the article a Waterproof coating, then heating it to eliminate the objectionable taste and odor of the binder, and then coating it with a non-adhesive material, substantially as described.

l containing pfll'llt'ltlfi of cork and an artificial binder ha via; an objectionable taste and odor, which consists in baking, the articles at a temperature in excess of 250" R, and continuing the baking for several hours to substantially eliminate such oliijectionable taste and odor, substantially as described.

9. The method of manufacturing tasteless and odorless cork articles, which consists in forming a sheet, board or block composed of cork and an artificial binder having desirable qualities and also having inherent there with an objectionable taste and odor. and then heating the article to substantially eliminate such taste and odor, substantially as described.

10. The method of manufacturing tasteless and odorless cork articles, which consists in forming a sheet, board or block composed of particles of cork and an artificial hinder having the desired preservative and adhesive qualities but possessing inherent therewith an objectionable taste and odor, then coating with a Waterproof material and then heatin to substantially eliminate the 0bjectionab ie taste and odor of the binder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE H. GILLETTE. \Vitnesses C. P. BYRNES, H. M. Comvix.

8. The metho of treating cork articles 

